Pelicans 105, Rockets 100
Tyreke Evans collected 25 points, 10 assists and six rebounds as host New Orleans knocked off shorthanded Houston.
Austin Rivers recorded 18 points and eight assists and Anthony Morrow scored 15 off the bench for the Pelicans, who finished the season with a pair of wins after dropping eight straight. Alexis Ajinca scored 11 points as New Orleans shot 52.4 percent from the field.
Troy Daniels scored a career-high 22 points while starting in place of James Harden for the Rockets, who also rested Jeremy Lin, Omer Asik and Chandler Parsons on the eve of the playoffs. Terrence Jones recorded 17 points and eight rebounds for fourth-seeded Houston, which will host fifth-seeded Portland in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
The Pelicans took a 90-81 lead on Luke Babbitt’s free throw with 7:41 left before Daniels and Jordan Hamilton each hit a 3-pointer to make it a one-possession game. Hamilton’s steal and dunk with 2:50 to play gave the Rockets a 100-99 lead.
Evans responded with a driving layup and Jeff Withey blocked three shots and scored during a 6-0 run to close the game. Houston held a one-point lead late in the third quarter before Morrow and Rivers hit back-to-back 3-pointers to help New Orleans take an 80-78 lead into the fourth.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Evans, who scored a career-high 41 points on Monday, went 11-of-20 from the floor. … Houston’s 54-28 record marks the fifth-best finish in franchise history. … Rockets C Dwight Howard played 26 minutes and scored seven points before sitting for good after missing a rare 3-point attempt.